Redemption [3]

Chuck and Dan Are Friends

Here's another chapter. Just preparing you all that in a few chapters there will be some hard times coming Ella's way. Be prepared to possibly cry and hate me all at the same time.

I was asked by Lily to drop something off at Chuck's before I headed over to help Serena with Blair's shower. I walked into his penthouse hoping I wouldn't run into Nate, but I was met with the strong aroma of alcohol and day old food.

"What you need to do is stop with the neurotic navel-gazing..."

"What are you two baby's whining about now?" I ask placing Chuck's package on the chair.

"Hello to you too Ella." Chuck greets me.

"I would never have pegged the two of you as bitching buddies."

"What?" Dan asks almost dropping his food.

"This is what this friendship is based on right. You two get together, Chuck drinks then Dan you join in once you've had enough and just bitch to each other about how hard your sex life is and..."

"Excuse you, my sex life is great and..."

"Name the last time you had pleasure in your life that didn't come from your own hand." Dan stays silent. "Just like I thought. But seriously what's bothering you two."

"I take a seat in between my brother and Dan.

"Um, well Chuck isn't going to let Blair getting married bother him and I'm not going to be bothered by Serena not inviting me to Blair's shower."

"And this is you not being bothered?" I motion to the empty plates of food and bottles of alcohol.

"It may not be how you would handle things, but you were actually invited to the shower."

"I would hope so Blair's my best friend and you wrote a book about her having sex with you which almost tear about her engagement."

"I uh... You do have a point there and..."

"Instead of grilling us about our problems let's talk about yours with a certain mutual friend of ours." Chuck butts in not carrying if I wanted to answer his intrusive question or not.

"My problem with Nate is none of your business. It's not either of your business."

"See, that's hard to believe because I recall a certain ex-boyfriend meeting with me to ask for your hand in marriage and yet I see no ring." I'm ready to kill Chuck.

"You're engaged?" Dan asks with a full mouth. He practically almost drops the whole plate of food.

"No, I'm not because I turned Val down and I'm in a shithole with Nate."

"Why, because he's having sex with his boss."

"What?" Dan is so behind on all the news.

"What are you trying to get at Chuck?"

"I'm just saying a guy doesn't pin after you for two and a half years and just suddenly stops because he's with an older woman. Trust me his relationship with Diana is purely sex and gossip. There's nothing deeper than that and if there was he wants it with someone else."

"Well, he has a funny way of showing it."

"Ella, my dear sister." Chuck is holding my hand now and I give Dan a weird look. "You've been so used to men chasing you around and you having the power of choosing who you want. Now it's the other way around. Nate is once again the one everyone wants, and you just have to show him you want him more."

"You're saying I have to win Nate's affection to get him to leave Diana."

"Leave or realize that relationship will never last past the season. Either way, you need to up your game."